Do you constantly find yourself saying “This house is a mess?”
Do you live with messy people?
Do you repeatedly find yourself trying to organize and reorganize and maintain the same areas in your home over and over again? Do you live with messy people who seem to leave a trail of their belongings from the time they enter the door to whatever room they ultimately land in? Do you have specific areas of your house that you just can’t seem to keep organized (entry hall, mud room, kids’ rooms, garages, home office)? If you answered yes to any of the above questions, suffice it to say your struggle is real and you are not alone. However, you may be combatting the chaos in the wrong ways. Here’s some simple strategies for addressing some of the messiest areas (and messiest people) in your home.
Create a functional entryway.
One of the easiest places to invite messiness is right inside the door of your house. It’s inevitable that things like mail, backpacks, briefcases, keys and miscellaneous “stuff” can create the appearance of messiness the minute you step in the door. By creating proper organized spaces and systems in the entryway, whether it’s inside the front door or in the mudroom from the garage, you can ensure that there is a place for everything. Hooks for backpacks and jackets, basket for keys, and a mat or rack for shoes can immediately make a difference in creating the appearance of a more organized space.
Make your bed everyday.
When the bed is made, it helps the rest of the room look styled, even if it is not perfect. Better still, once you are in the habit of making your bed, you’ll likely feel inspired to continue to tidy and maintain the rest of the room. This is a habit that is great to pass along to kids as well as a first step in helping them keep up their messy rooms better.
Be inspired.
Have friends who seem to have their messiness under control? Ask them for some tips. Or better yet, take some time to read what the experts are saying or browse the net or Pinterest for design and organization ideas to put into practice. Remember, you are not alone in this struggle, which is why you will find books, articles, videos, blogs and tv shows dedicated to the topic. Start with small steps in the most impactful areas, and watch the organization become contagious to other areas of your home. Here’s some expert tips and inspiration to get you started: 8 Things That Make Your Home Look Messier Than You Think.
Declutter everywhere, purge consistently.
You’ve watched the shows, but how do you do this on your own in your home. If you find yourself with “too much stuff” everywhere, you probably need to purge, donate, toss or pass along things that are no longer essential or bring you joy. Check out this HGTV article on what “The Minimalists” suggest for practical ways to declutter: Decluttering Tips from The Minimalists.
Organize your home office.
Whether you are an entrepreneur, home-based business owner, or telecommuter, you likely have a small dedicated area in your home that is used as your office. Many times, because space may be limited, home office and desks tend to become cluttered and messy. Some may argue that messiness is a sign of genius or creativity, but for the majority of us, it just means messiness. Frequent sorting and purging can help with paper pile buildup. Using your drawers efficiently for filing and managing supplies can get additional clutter off your desk. Here’s some more ways to banish the mess from your desk from the experts at Entrepreneur: 5 Insanely Simple Ways to Banish Your Messy Desk Forever.
Get technology devices and cords under control.
Both in our living spaces and in our home offices, the use of technology is inescapable. Tv’s, laptops, monitors, tablets, routers, charging stations, surge protectors, printers and more and more devices tend to use up tons of space and create a tangled nightmare of cables and cords that add to the messy appearance. Simple cord management strategies can help to alleviate the cable chaos and make a difference in the appearance of your office space.
Hire a housecleaning service.
Many times the tasks of both organization and cleaning can seem overwhelming. You’ll get organized somewhat but run out of steam to clean. Or you’ll do some basic cleaning, but the messiness and clutter stands out over the cleanliness. Hiring a housecleaning service on a regular basis can help. Home owners are more likely to maintain tidiness and more frequent organization when an outside service comes into their home to clean. Walking in the door to a clean, organized and fresh smelling home tends to instill the motivation to keep things more organized on a regular basis. Most people find weekly or bi-monthly cleaning to do the trick.
